Growing in Loyalty for Christ!

Thursday, July 25, 2024

Feast of St. James, Apostle

2 Cor 4:7-15; Mt 20:20-28

Today we celebrate the feast of St. James the Apostle, who is also known as James the Great or James the Greater to be distinguished from his namesake. (The epithet ‘Great’ or ‘Greater’ is due to his greater size or the age difference between him and James the Lesser, whose feast we celebrate on May 3).

James, along with his brother John, were sons of Zebedee and were the first four apostles chosen by Jesus. 

James was one of the three who formed the inner circle of Jesus. Along with Peter and John, James witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the agony in the garden at Gethsemane. 

James and John were known famously as the Sons of Thunder (Boanerges) (Mk 3:14-17). 

It was these sons of thunder who wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy those Samaritans who had refused hospitality to Jesus (Lk 9:54).

Another important mention about them is found in today’s Gospel, wherein their mother wants to find out if Jesus can grant the favor of making her sons sit one at his right and the other at his left. 

More importantly, St. James is the author of the Letter of St. James in the New Testament. 

The tradition also holds that St. James the Great was the first apostle to be martyred for his faith. 

The life of St. James compels us to ask what we can do for Christ in our faith in him.

The life of St. James shows that he was an enthusiastic disciple of Jesus and a zealous missionary in his later days. In three ways, we can explore his love for Jesus. 

We Can: In the Markan version of the Gospel (10:35-45), both James and John answer affirmatively when Jesus asks if they can drink his cup and be baptized with the same baptism as himself. In essence, both of them agree to accept inward suffering (cup) and outward suffering (baptism) for their faith in Jesus. Though they did not know what they were saying yes to, they were enthusiastic for their faith that when they were demanded of their lives for Christ, they rose to the occasion to set an example for others.

Can We?: The sons of thunder were not just playful when they sought Jesus’ permission to invoke fire upon the Samaritans who were not hospitable to Jesus. The highly favored and loved apostles of Christ also possessed a fiery temper and burning zeal for the cause of Jesus. Their sincere love for Jesus and the seriousness with which they place the request manifest how fervent they must have been as evangelizers in their later days. In their question, the brothers revealed their readiness to do anything for Christ. 

I Can: According to tradition, St. James was the first martyr. Having died as the first martyr, St. James proved that he was not just an enthusiastic disciple but a loyal apostle of Christ. Of St. James and his martyrdom for Jesus, former Pope Benedict XVI said: ‘He, who initially had requested, through his mother, to be seated with his brother next to the Master in his Kingdom, was precisely the first to drink the chalice of the passion and to share martyrdom with the apostles.’ 

The life of St. James teaches us that we have to grow in our fidelity to Christ, no matter where we begin. 

The never-fading enthusiasm of James found its fulfillment when he died as a loyal friend of Christ. 

Let us pray that we may be edified by the example of St. James to excel in our loyalty to Christ. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar